Widow Didn`t Put Stock In Actuarial Tables

There probably aren`t many Fort Lauderdale residents who remember Eva Newsham, an elderly widow who once stood, at least temporarily, in the way of progress.

Six years ago, Newsham, 90, was quietly living out the remaining years of her life in the quaint, small cottage she had called home since 1945.

Unfortunately, as far as Newsham was concerned, Broward County wanted to build a new jail, and her wood-frame house was the only obstacle standing in its way.

In his will, Harley Newsham, an ex-city commissioner, said Eva, his wife, could live in their home until her death; surviving relatives would then get the property.

Remarked Eva in 1980: ``Maybe I won`t live too long, but you never know.``

The county, of course, had a touchy public relations problem. Despite its inherent bureaucratic insensitivity, the county didn`t want to be seen throwing an elderly, white-haired widow out on the streets.

One county penpusher even admitted to praying about the matter, but it seems he wasn`t saying his prayers religiously.

When negotiations over moving the house collapsed, the county grew tired of playing Mr. Nice Guy and condemned the property in October 1980.

The only issue remaining was compensation.

Since Newsham had been legally entitled to live in the house, a court hearing was held to determine what her life was worth.

Using actuarial tables, a judge ruled that Newsham could be expected to live another two years. The old gal, however, didn`t put much stock in any damned statistics.

Newsham, at the ripe old age of 95, died on July 21, outliving the actuarial prediction of the death by more than three years.

The couple who cared for Newsham in Mifflinburg, Pa., where she died, sent Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Jim Naugle a note informing him of her death (Naugle knew the widow), and they asked him to pass along this message: ``Tell the judge she was wrong.``

TUNNEL VISION

The pastel colors now adorning the New River Tunnel aren`t endearing themselves to everyone, but that was to be expected.

``We`re not expecting everyone to like it,`` said JoAnn Medalie, one of Fort Lauderdale City Manager Connie Hoffmann`s administrative assistants.

So far, the project has prompted plans by Winn Dixie, the Rio Vista Tavern and Firestone to paint their buildings using tunnel colors.

Peachy idea, don`t you think?

POLITICAL VANITY

Soon after Caryl Stevens was elected to the Oakland Park City Council, she handed out pens inscribed with the words, ``Proud To Live In Oakland Park.``

It was her way, she said, of letting people know the city would no longer be embarrassed by the former council`s preoccupation with moral issues.

Stevens has taken her pro-Oakland Park campaign one step further. On the back of her gray, 1979 Checker, Stevens` vanity license plate reads, ``Oak Park.``

``Between that and the Checker, I hardly get out of the parking lot any more,`` she said.

ALARMING NEWS

Some attorneys with offices in downtown Fort Lauderdale are alarmed by the number of alarms going off at the nearby state corrections work station.

The state`s office, located at 609 S. Andrews Ave., has a sensitive burglar alarm, and it has been accidentally triggered 16 times since January, city records show.

In the past year, the state has paid $275 in taxpayer-funded fines.

The work station`s alarm isn`t the worst, by far. Police said some burglar alarms get tripped accidentally every other day.

``We`re in the process of having it fixed,`` said Jan Taylor, director of the state correction`s office. ``I`m upset with it, too.``

KEYS TO SUCCESS

The issue last week before the Broward County Commission was its 8 percent tourist tax and whether a guaranteed cut should go to promote the arts.

Tourism people were at the commission meeting, arguing that culture doesn`t attract tourists. The arts people were there, saying of course it does.

The charges and countercharges were flying about the rich not contributing enough to the arts when Commissioner Scott Cowan interrupted.

``I`ve been asked to make this announcement,`` he said. ``Has anybody lost these keys to a Mercedes?``